The Rest is Still Unwritten
by baka-neko-fan
Summary: The magic of mana brings Aki, Chidori, and Shuro back to life- but what comes next? Somewhat AU, I guess. Most pairings will be cannon. Rating may go up.


Alright, before I begin, let me just do a little rant (feel free to skip to the horizontal line/divider thing.) I watched Ayashi No Ceres because, well... I needed anime. I'd had a bad day and needed something silly to cheer me up. Wound up pulling an all-nighter to 7AM to watch the whole series, then proceeded to read the manga. If you haven't yet, do it, because you might get confused otherwise where Shuro's involved. I normally don't watch anime like this (I mean, straight couples? Who ever heard of that? Yaoi ftw.) Buuut I must admit I was taken by Tooya and Aya's relationship. Mostly because it was so right on SOOO many levels. Anyway, the real reason I continued watching it was because of the theme song. I mean, Twilight moments (disappearing shirts- not a fan of the sparkle series, by the way) hot guys, and glowing orbs that make people's hair and eyes change colors (initial response)? What more can you ask for?

So I saw and read the ending and raged a little because you don't even get to see what the baby looks like, and... AKI! SHURO! Broke my heart to see them die. SO! I devised this plan that it probably a little AU, but I think it works, personally. Mana is life force, so... Regardless, I hope you enjoy, and I hope I can stay focused long enough to keep you all happy!

Disclaimer: I unfortunately do not own Ayashi No Ceres. If I did, Alec would totally have a hot boyfriend. Just sayin.

* * *

Heaven

"Check!" Chidori chirped as she moved her knight into place. She was playing chess with Aki, whom she'd become friends with during his week in heaven. There wasn't much to do, so playing games like this was a good way to pass the time.

"Ah, you got me again!" Aki groaned, searching for some escape from his castle. Unfortunately, it seemed he was surrounded, but he was saved by the bell, so to speak, as a shadow approached from behind him. Looking back, he saw Ceres being trailed by a far more sane version of Mikagi. "Ceres?"

Chidori blinked and looked up at the tennyo before her, "Ceres? What a sight for sore eyes!" The girl bounced out of her seat and gave the woman a hug, as if greeting an old friend.

Ceres' face softened as she returned the embrace. Children always were a soft spot for her, even though she knew Chidori was older than she acted. "I have news for the three of you..." She paused and looked around for a moment, "Shuro... Where is Shuro? I thought she would be near you."

"She and Kei are busy having sex!" Chidori announced with a smile, causing Aki to nearly fall off his chair.

"How can you say things like that so easily?" He wondered aloud, rubbing his temples in confusion. "But essentially, yes, they wanted some alone time, but she should be back soon. She and Chidori planned a chess tournament that somehow ends with ice cream."

"I see..." Ceres said, not really understanding the idea, but going along with it anyway. "We shall wait with you here, then."

"D'ya want to join the tournament?" Chidori wondered excitedly, looking from Ceres to Shiso.

Shiso shook his head, "No, we aren't here to play with you. We... Well, I, have come to repent."

"Well you better start now 'cause it's gonna take you a few centuries." Shuro said sarcastically as she came up behind Chidori. "What's going on, Ceres? Don't usually see you around here."

"As Mikagi says, we have come to repent for the carnage we've caused over the centuries..." Ceres replied, looking to Aki. "All of you sacrificed so much, went through so much pain that could have been avoided."

Aki returned his attention to the chess board. It hurt to think about Aya, the life they'd had... How much damage he, as Shiso, had done. It hurt to think that, should they ever meet again, she still might not forgive him. "It's over now." He said softly in a tone meant to end the conversation.

"It's not over." Shiso argued, "That's why we're here, we-"

"Do you remember the women in the facility that were said to be the 'mothers' of the future generation? That were artificially impregnated with the seed of men they'd never even laid eyes on?" Ceres interrupted, "They were all C-Genomers, and they committed a mass suicide when faced with the possibility of venturing outside those walls."

"How awful... They didn't even know what life was like..." Shuro murmured, lowering her gaze.

"The massive quantity of tennyo descendants all dying at the same time created what some believe to be oversized unbound mana. It's unstable and weaker than most, but mana nonetheless. There has been much discussion about what to do with this mana, but finally a decision has been reached. We are to split this unbound mana into three. Doing so will "break" it, which means that it won't last as long as mana should and will be even less powerful than it already is. Though it is weak, it should be strong enough to do the one task we will require of it. We shall return the three who sacrificed themselves to end the carnage to the earth to live out their lives as normal humans." Ceres explained, closing her eyes.

For a moment, everything was silent and still as the information was absorbed. "But humans can't use mana, isn't that what you said? I thought mana makes people turn into monsters." Aki asked, still not looking at Ceres. He wasn't entirely sure that returning was a good idea in the first place after all that had happened, and he didn't much appreciate having decisions made for him.

"This is true; however; you are no longer humans. You are no longer living, and the mana will have run out of energy by the time you return to your flesh. Besides that, you all have tennyo blood in your veins which should help protect you."

"Yeah, that's another thing. The tennyo blood is just going to kill us all over again, isn't it? Because I drank tainted water and Chidori got the 'vaccination?'" Shuro reminded.

"As the mana binds with you and your flesh returns, it will absorb the C-Genomes, and, in theory, will disintegrate along with the mana when it runs out of energy." Ceres stated.

"In theory?" Chidori put on a little pout, "That's not very reassuring, Ceres. How do we know this is even gonna work?"

This time, Kei was the one to speak, "You won't know until you try."

Ceres nodded, seeming to agree with this, "Chidori, don't you want to see your brother and Yuuhi again? Aki, don't you want to be with Aya when she gives birth?" Chidori looked away with a slight blush at Yuuhi's name, while Aki shot a glare at Shiso.

"Aya? I doubt she wants anything to do with me after what you did to her." Aki accused, never taking his eyes off Mikagi.

"That isn't true." Ceres said softly, "She knows you would never hurt her, Aki. She understands that Shiso caused you to do those things because I was within her just as he was within you. I attacked you and your mother without her consent, but can you honestly say you blame her for those things?"

"Of course not! You were the one who-"

"That's why she understands. All is forgiven, Aki."

When it seemed that Aki finally had no more protests, Shuro asked, "And what about me? What's waiting for me on the other side?"

Rather than wait for Ceres to answer, Kei said softly, "Didn't you say you were gonna go solo and be even bigger than Gesang? You already came out about your gender, so what's holding you back now?"

"Well, everyone knows I'm dead, for one," Shuro reminded, "And I..." She paused, lowering her gaze, "I don't want to be without you anymore, Kei..."

"You're not without me," He took her hand and guided it to his lips, lightly kissing the ring that once belonged to him. "You have this, don't you? I'll always be by your side, Shuro. And we'll have an eternity together when you come back."

"But... Kei..." Tears began to well up in the singer's eyes as she threw her arms around her beloved friend.

"Go on; I owe Aya a favor, anyway. I'll loan you to her for a while, as long as you don't forget me."

With a sniffle, Shuro mumbled, "Idiot. Like I could ever forget you!"

* * *

I did my best to stay in character, but something tells me my best wasn't nearly close enough. What do you think?


End file.
